Vegan Stuffed Shells with Butternut Sage Sauce

Get #soyinspired with these Vegan Stuffed Shells with Butternut Sage Cream Sauce! Tofu ricotta stuffed into jumbo shells and baked in a creamy butternut sauce.

Disclosure: I was asked to participate in the #soyinspired campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network.  Thanks for supporting the brands that make Delish Knowledge possible. 

 Day by day, our little house is slowly coming along. My in-laws were kind enough to drive down this weekend to help us with the chores that no one wants to do: painting the downstairs, organizing the basement, and endless amounts of yard work. After condo living for the past decade, it’s easy to forget how much effort goes into maintaining a yard. While I’m ready to try my black thumb at gardening this Spring, I sometimes miss the simplicity of having concrete for a front yard. No overgrown bushes, leaves, and weeds to constantly wrestle with.

The highlight of their trip down was bringing our longly awaited farm-table, a massive 8-feet oak table that is sure to be the gathering point of our family. My father-in-law has graciously spent his weekends and free time crafting our handmade table and to say it’s a thing of beauty is a gross understandment. I can’t wait for the coming dinner parties, holidays, and events that will happen around that table in the years to come.

Now that we have our table in place, I’m anxiously ready to entertain. I know that the way into most people’s hearts is through a full belly and I’m hoping that this is true with the few friends we’ve made this far. I’m always slightly nervous when I invite people over to dinner for the first time. Should I tell them in advance that we’re vegetarian? Are they going to be OK with our meatless dinners? Deep down I know that everyone is always more than satisfied, but it’s still a lingering question that pops in my mind when I ask new friends to join us for a meal.

Over the years, I’ve relied on a few show-stopper dinners that I know will win over any crowd. As the holidays slowly creep towards us, I want to make sure I’m prepared with gorgeous, seasonally-inspired dinners that are not only delicious- but healthy as well. I want our guests to focus on how yummy the food is instead of what’s missing.

 

These Butternut-Sage stuffed shells are worthy of any holiday table. Tofu ricotta stuffed into jumbo shells and baked in a savory butternut cream sauce then garnished with fried sage and toasted pecans. They are elegant, fairly easy to assemble, and beautiful.

Ironically, tofu ricotta was the very first thing I ever made with tofu. This was way back in highschool when I was a newish vegetarian and still experimenting with meat-free swaps. My mom and I bought a container of tofu at the grocery store in hopes of creating a silky ricotta filling, minus the dairy. We opened the package, stuffed it directly into the shells and hoped for the best. Needless to say, it wasn’t our finest cooking moment.

Thankfully, I now know how to make a killer tofu ricotta that actually tastes similar to its dairy counterpart. Crumbled, firm tofu with a bit of spices, lemon juice and nutritional yeast make for a healthy, protein-packed swap this holiday season.

If you want more holiday vegetarian ideas, follow the #SoyInspired campaign on Pinterest, Twitter, and Facebook.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

Print